Enhancing access to justice top priority: CJ Nominee Raut

KATHMANDU: Chief Justice nominee Prakash Man Singh Raut has expressed commitment to develop and implement special strategies and programs to enhance access to justice.

Presenting his action plan in the meeting of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee on Wednesday, Raut said he would identify obstacles to access to justice and implement special strategies and programs to improve accessibility. Raut also said he would make necessary arrangements to make the court environment more user-friendly, streamline service delivery and enhance the information dissemination system.

Raut also outlined plans to expand online case registration, which has started in the Supreme Court, to all levels of courts, and extend court proceedings and hearings through video conferencing in geographically remote areas.

To control activities contrary to good governance in courts, Raut said he plans to create and effectively deploy a micro-surveillance mechanism. “I will start the process to create separate laws to effectively control the undesirable activities of middlemen in courts,” he added.

Raut also said he could conduct a study and implement live broadcasts of court hearings, expand the use of information technology in the judiciary to make judicial proceedings and service delivery faster, more economical and transparent, thereby improving the overall quality and effectiveness of justice delivery.